Shiplife: Writing Assignment

The sheer fact that I am writing my journal while sitting poolside and listening to the colorful beats of Bob Marley is grounds enough to state that this is not the average college campus. Life aboard the MV Explorer is a magical world, a cultural cornucopia of students and crewmembers that alone are as diverse as the countries we make our way towards. Around every corner lies someone new to meet and although the process of repetitive questions is doomed to occur, we also see that when all is said and done, no state is free from representation and that the interrogation may find a common bond.
Ship life offers something rarely found in our modern-day society; the expulsion of social barriers. The Explorer is an escape from reality sharing the same principles of the Roman Baths in the time of the Empire. We have found a social haven where upon entering we are stripped of class and have the opportunity to mingle outside of our normal situation. Only here may a student share free-weights with his professor or you can find yourself seated next to the Archbishop for an evening meal like it is a natural occurrence.
This new way of life comes with a fresh set of social standards, where patches of Dramamine that secretly hide behind one’s ear become the newest fashion craze to be desired by old and young alike. Napping is no longer thought to be for the lazy and lax rather it weeds its way into the daily routine for most passengers. At any hour of the day a student may be found lying peacefully, with their bodies wrapped tight in a set of sheets, being lulled to sleep by the constant swaying of the ship. These beds, by the way, appear to be magic themselves, for as soon as you exit the room, even just for a few minutes, the beds seem to make themselves and call out for a warm body. Of course we know that the friendly cabin stewards are the ones to receive the thanks, but like the House-Elves from Harry Potter, they are so good at their jobs they find ways to appear invisible.

Urine, markets and the Ugly American

So last night’s Carnival was a much different experience than the first night’s. Evidently, the first night had most of the action in the lower Barra area and then last night it was in Pelourinno ( I have no idea how to spell that…). Anyways there was a sea of people in the streets and I am talking about thousands. We went out as a group of thirteen boys and girls and somehow we miraculously were able to return home that way. It was a crazy night. There were blocos, which are the big sound trucks that have the bands standing on top of them, upon blocos and the dancing parade never ceased. It was such an interesting spectacle. We made friends with a kid named Danilio who was from Salvador and although he only spoke Portuguese somehow everyone was able to converse with him and helped us out with everything. I think he just enjoyed our company. He said he was 19 but he appeared to be more like 16. It is hard to say if he is a street kid or if he has a family and a home. It is sad to think about when as we leave for the night we head back to a giant cruise ship while he may be living in a small favela on the side of the mountains. At least he showed us a good time and really enjoyed being with us. It is funny to think that there are universal signs that can be made by hand and without words you can still communicate. Brazil is the first place that I have traveled where I don’t understand what people say to me. At least when I was in Italy I could make out words to pick up on what they are saying, but here Portuguese is more like Japanese.
The air last night like nothing I have ever breathed in my life. I have never been somewhere where I yearn to enter a store or go back on board the ship for some fresh air. Normally you wish to go outside for that but here in Brazil it is so humid that the urine that consumes each corner cooks in the heat and creates a disgusting odor that when combined with the sweat and the BO is like no other smell in the world. After a while it becomes difficult to breathe. My lungs felt as though they were filled with dirt and I wanted to vomit each time I took a breath.
One thing that I really had trouble with last night was the idea of the Ugly American. Some of the people we went out with and others from the program appeared to be those annoying tourists that see the world only through rose colored glasses. After drinking their beers they become oblivious. They see this experience only as an ongoing party and miss out on seeing and trying to understand the people that they come in contact with. Vanity is such a strong issue as these girls melt at the slightest bit of attention. Basically they show their younger age through their mannerisms and lack of common sense. I am not just saying this to be critical, but we are in a country that is not the safest place in the world and we are in Salvador in its most dangerous time of the year. Eh. Evidently last night a couple of students got mugged and two boys actually witnessed a man being knifed…they say they saw the blade cut open a man’s chest. Whether or not it is true they definitely looked terrified and were searching for a way home so I am going to believe that they were not lying. It just goes to say that anything can happen and it is best to remain as inconspicuous as possible instead of calling attention to drunk white kid behavior.
On another note, today Molly and I went to the Mercado Modelo, which is an art market. There are booths selling jewelry, fake futbol jerseys, t-shirts, art and other various souveniers. While searching for a Kaka jersey for Molly I had an interesting conversation with the sales woman. I could make out certain words in Portugese that were similar to Spanish and since she saw that I could translate to Molly she continued on thinking that I could understand her. One of the men that worked in the stand had the woman ask me if I was either a singer named Ivana something or other or if I was married to a singer name Ivan something or other. I couldn’t tell. But she kept making a box around her face and saying singer then pointing at me. Maybe I was mistaken for a pop superstar. Ha.
It has been a beautiful day today. So hot though. For the past two days it had been overcast with the occasional downpour, but today was the way I pictured it to be in Brazil. By the way I know I mentioned it before but think about it again…Brazil has the second largest population of Africans in the world after Nigeria. Brazil has more Africans than Africa itself. Crazy.

Brasil!

Oi! Boum Gia! Yesterday morning we arrived in Brazil. As soon as the ship docked and the immigration officers finished stamping passports we were finally free to explore. Descending the stairs or the ship on to the dock we were greeted by a quartet of drummers playing an African beat and by women who tied bracelets around our wrists. The bracelets are ribbons that say “ Branca do Senhor do Bonfim de Bahia”. I cannot translate that but they represent a tradition of the church where as they are tied on these bracelets are tied with three knots. You are told to make a wish and you must wear it until it falls off. If you take it off you are brought bad luck. So now I most likely will have it on until San Diego.
The women that gave us the bracelets were adorned in great traditional costumes. With petticoats worn under their layered dresses, they appeared to be either extremely overweight or hiding a small child under their dresses. Let’s just say that I have never appeared so thin as when I stood next to the 4 of them. On their heads they each wore a colored turban and they had multiple necklaces and bracelets dangling around their necks and arms.
My first outing of the day was not until a couple hours later when I departed on a walking tour of Salvador. The historical part of the tour itself was miserable as the woman was old and it was her first tour. You could barely hear her and she kept forgetting information. But really it didn’t matter because the only reason that I signed up for the tour was to be able to take out make nice camera for lots of pictures without worrying about getting it stolen. I did get many wonderful pictures and as it is the week of Carnival, many people were I dressed in interesting costumes…I have never seen so many men dressed as women in my life.
The city architecture of Salvador is amazing, but as the years have past the facades of each home are now just remnants of the beauty they once held. The buildings appear to be skeletons of a once complete body. Because of the humidity in Brazil, the colorful pinks, blues, yellows and whites of the paints are stripped of their vibrance and because of the cost of upkeep they are left peeling and thirsty for new protection.
Salvador is the second largest concentration of Africans in the world after Nigeria so no matter how you are dressed they know you are a tourist from your skin color alone. In Brazil there is a huge difference in wealth as the poor people are very poor and the small percent of the wealthy are very rich. Carnival is one time in the year where there is supposed to be a redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor as they all celebrate the week before Lent and all boundries are broken. In Salvador Carnival is celebrated in a traditional way with band after band parading down the streets followed by dancers in traditional costumes and often accompanied by men and boys practicing Capoiera, a type of martial arts that was created as a secret activity for military defense. Everything in Salvador has an African undertone, so if you are thinking of the giant floats and flashy costumes of the Rio de Janiero Carnival you would be mistaken. As much as I would love to go to Rio, at this point I am a little terrified of the robbing that occurs and the fact that it is the most dangerous city in Brazil at the busiest time so needless to say, I am content to stay in Salvador. Carnival is the biggest party in the world according to the Guinness book of World Records and so it is pretty cool to be a part of it no matter what city I am in. As I mentioned before, there are men on the street that travel in packs wearing the same outfit but dressed as women. They wear wigs, they wear miniskirts, they wear makeup and I don’t think they were gay. It is the most bizarre thing that I have seen. Especially because they are of all ages from 8 to 60. Last night as I was out celebrating Carnival on the streets on of these “men” came up to me and my friends and I could not tell if he was more attracted to me or one of the boys. I think they all must be confused or at least crazy. By the way, his name was Waldo and he wore fishnets and a leather corsette…My kind of man.

The people of Brazil are as diverse as they come. 2/3 of the Brazilian population are living in poverty and Brazil is home to many street children who are without home or family and are known for surviving off of what they steal from the filet mignon, also know as the tourists. It was so interesting to start of my trip in Brazil by walking around the city, but it was more difficult than I thought it would be. I was expecting to see poverty in South Africa and India, but Brazil appears to be quite eye-opening as well. The city reeks of urine as the street-dwellers use every corner and tree to relieve themselves. That with the mix of humidity and sweat creates an odor that consumes the city. There are men and women that lay on the streets looking malnourished and in need of help. Even the vendors are not the same as those in Mexico as these people are missing many teeth, have sink ailments and appear to be walking skeletons. We were warned not to carry cameras with us as most people see a camera as 5 years worth of work. It makes you incredibly guilty to see their lifestyles knowing that there is little you can do to help in the long term.
On the other side of the people, Brazilians come from all around to witness Carnival and so this is their week of fun. I have never seen so many adorable children running around in little skirts and fancy bra-type tops and boys in Batman costumes (don’t ask me why). They are all so colorful and the sparkle as they walk down the streets trying to keep up with their parents.
I have so much more to say about it but I will write more later!

Shrimps and Leeches...the surprises of Bio Bay

Back in the open waters again…Last night we left Puerto Rico and I must say that I had a very good time there. On my second night I went to Bioluminescent Bay which is this bay where a natural phenomenon occurs. In reaction to agitation these plankton or living organism within the water react and emit light. There are only 4 bioluminescent areas in the world and 3 of them are within Puerto Rico. The 4th is in Japan but it was a man-made area where the re-planted the mongol trees that help to cause the phenomenon. So, after an hour car ride out to the bay I boarded my kayak with another Marissa and we followed our guide (who called himself Peter Plankton) into this dark tunnel created by trees. It was already nighttime and dark outside and then adding the cover of the trees left little to see. I could barely make out the fluorescent ring of the kayak in front of me and it took me and Marissa a little while to become good at steering the kayak. With this being so, we definitely ran into many trees that we didn’t see coming and we had a couple of foreign stowaways; one being either a huge black beetle on my arm or possibly a leech and the other being either a shrimp or a sardine that was attempting to get into Marissa’s bathing suit bottoms. Ha. Gross. Anyways, after about a mile’s worth of rowing we could tell that we were close to the bay because with every stroke of the paddle the water would start to light up. Once out in the bay we were in this vast area of water surrounded by only trees. Peter Plankton tied all of our kayaks together, told us a little biology/ecology lesson then let us dive into the water. It was so cool. Even though it was almost pitch black outside you could see your own legs under water because with the motion it would light up the organisms and make the legs appear to glow. Also if sitting in the kayak you could scoop up the water with your hands and the bioluminescent plankton would trickle off your hands as though it was fairy dust. Basically the water looked like it contained fireflies as inhabitants and it was quite amazing.
Yesterday I went to the beach and became a lobster. Unintentionally of course, but the water was so warm and beautiful and it was a perfect day to relax. Before venturing off to lunch we asked one of the local surfers where we could find some good Puerto Rican food and he told of the name of a place in Old San Juan. Of course he didn’t know what street it was on and the only information that he could tell us about it was that it was across from a Footlocker. Well we were brave and ventured off on a 45-minute walk from the beach to Old San Juan and miraculously found the restaurant, Manolina, down one of the many tight streets of town. It was like a local diner filled with native Puerto Ricans so we knew it was the real thing. I had a chicken empanada with rice and beans, which was delicious, and I found it interesting that they had bottled ketchup/mayo that they used as a sauce. But the food was great and I think that the sheer fact that we found the place was grounds for satisfaction.
I finished the day off with some more beach time then went back to the ship.
It is funny because it took me about 3 days to feel as though I was back on land and then as soon as I was comfortable again it was time to get back on the ship. But now I think I am used to the rocking as I actually couldn’t wait for the ship to start moving last night to rock me to sleep and today I felt just fine. I started my other two classes today which I think I am going to really enjoy. First was documentary filmmaking in which I will make a movie about a topic that I choose. At this point I am thinking of either making a cultural comparison between the countries or focusing on the children of each port and their differences in health and poverty levels. Anyways I think that the class will be a challenge but I will come out with a great product.
My other class was African drumming. I am so excited about this one because it doesn’t really seem like class, it is more like an after-school activity. We didn’t get to play the instruments yet, but we did walk around in a circle clapping our hands and stomping our feet to syncopated and clave rhythms. At the end of the voyage we will play along with the xylophone class and give a concert for the ship. It should be fun.
Last but not least, we had the activities fair tonight. I am already signed up to be a pen pal for a school within Washington state (which I will find out which class on Monday), but I wanted to do other things too. First I signed up to be a Student of Service which is a group that will help plan activities and gather donations for the various orphanages and schools. I also signed up to be in a shipboard “family” where many students get paired up with the “life long learners” on our voyage and meet up for dinner once in a while. The life long learners range from like 28 to 91. Anyways, it should be fun to get to know them better.
That is it for now! I am going to aloe myself to sleep.

Bienvenudos a Puerto Rico! Oh Ricky Martin!

Today is my second day in the port of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It has been a fabulous start. Yesterday I woke up at 6:30 so that I could be awake to see the ship pull into port. It was so beautiful. From my window I could see the in port pilot climb aboard from his little tug boat and guide us in. I took pictures and ate out on the deck where I could see it all.
We were greeted by the Governor of Puerto Rico in the morning as all of the students congregated in the Union to see him speak. Not only did the Governor appear, but also the Secretary of State, numerous press crews and it housed the first public appearance of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. It was interesting because not only were the press crews snapping photos but also all the students so there were about 800 cameras flashing all at once. The Governor is the highest political office in Puerto Rico since it is a US territory, so in a sense it was like their President came to visit...which was very neat. All of Puerto Rico is very nice. It is not that different from the US as there are COSTCOs and Walmarts but also they have a very strong sense of heritage and culture that we in the US lack. As the Governor said, yes, they are part of the United States but instead of calling themselves Americans, they are Puerto Ricans...even if they live within the mainland US.
Walking around old San Juan is very beautiful as each house is painted in a varying bright color. The pinks, yellow and blue doors seem welcoming and represent their fun party lifestyle. I walked the city with Molly, Mary and Haley and we made our way up to San Cristobal, El Muro and past the "dangerous" living lifestyle of the La Perla town. It was about a 2 hour walk from the ship and in that time we saw the Cathedral that J.Lo was married in but interestingly enough it appears as though the people of Puerto Rico don't like her at all. Instead they love their hometown hero, Ricky Martin. I guess he is home this weekend and is giving a concert tomorrow, but it is sold out. There are posters of his face splashed everywhere along the streets of San Juan and apparently his penthouse is a building right in view from our ship.
I was expecting PR to be more like the Mexico that I had visited in the past but it really is not. It is much cleaner and probably wealthier as well. There are no vendors lining the streets and following the tourists around so it has been nice, but definately not a big change compared to most US cities. I know that our next stops will definately be more diverse, but this was a good way to ease ourselves into the changing cultures.
Last night I was able to go to Carribean University in Puerto Rico where as the bus pulled up we were greeted by a steel drum band accompanied by dancers on stilts and people in traditional masks and costumes. After a brief introduction to the University we were ushered outside where they had this huge party set up for us. We entered the outside area by walking under the legs of the stilt people and in the middle of the outside area they had a platform stage with men and women students dancing in traditional flowing skirts and folling the beat of African drumming. They performed many dances for us that mapped out their history and we got a chance to taste some of the traditional food of deep fried plantains and ground up beef treats. They were interesting...not my favorite. I did however love the dancing, especially when the little children came out and danced as well. It was just so cool that as a culture they all know of these dances and songs and they are passed down through the years to keep them alive. And not only is it the tradtional dances, but also salsa, merengue and reggaton. I guess in Puerto Rico they must have been dancing in their wombs as they all have this natural sense of rythm and can pick up a beat and dance without even thinking. I guess that I should take up practicing my dance moves so I can impress them all. Haha, yeah right.

The Ship's a Rockin!

So I am at my third day at sea and I at this point I am not quite sure what I got myself into. Eh. I was not at all expecting to be seasick but unfortunately I guess I had no choice. The MV Explorer is quite the ship. I have a great room that has a giant window that overlooks the waves and my roommate, Katie, seems to be really nice. The swaying from right to left, left to right is really getting to me though. Everyone walks down the hallways as if intoxicated but surprise! they are just the sea legs. These first couple of days have been filled with orientation meetings and such to prepare us for the voyage ahead and our first stop in Puerto Rico. All of these meetings have been held in the Union, which is the giant room in the front of the ship that will also become home to the talent shows and movie nights. The thing is that in this room we are continually rocking which puts me to sleep and I have an incredibly hard time following all of the information because I feel as though I am a baby in a cradle. Lets just say that so far my nights have been great as I pass out as soon as my head hits the pillow.
I started my first classes today. I have an 8 AM that is called “Writing About Travel”. Once again I am having a little bit of trouble staying awake, but hopefully I will adjust soon and come out with a great journal from the class. After that I had Global Studies that is required by everyone and tells of the history of the different ports and the economic and political and religious layouts. I am hoping that it will pick up and become more interesting as we go along. Last, my third class of the day was HIV/AIDS in the World. I think that this class will definitely be an interesting topic.
For the rest of the day I have been catching some sun as it is so nice outside. I think I made a mistake in packing though because the ship is freezing cold and I sit with chattering teeth yet I only have a couple of sweatshirts to keep me warm. Oh well, all I need to do is step outside for 5 minutes to reheat myself and I am set to go for at least another hour. This is no normal school and the sight of girls with bathing suits under tank tops is going to be the trend of the next 3 months.
Tomorrow is the first stop of San Juan, Puerto Rico. I still have no plans and I think I should probably figure that out…

So Long Land

So I am here at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas and in just a couple of hours I will be lugging my massive bags to the ship. Just thought I would say: Ah! it is finally here!!!